Different Stars
by Malakai-Macabre
Summary: Zephyr Rowin is an Awoken Hunter whose Guardianship is conducted in solitude, save for the companionship of her Ghost. It's not long before a three man group of an Exo Titan, an Exo Warlock and another Hunter persuade her to join their fire team. Male Hunter portrayed as Kit Harrington. HunterxHunterxQueen
1. Chapter 1

**Though I don't provide visual props for the female Hunter, or either Exos, I'll let your imagination fabricate with what details I provided in the story. As for our Male Hunter, as aforementioned, I used Kit Harrington and stuck with the name. Since the summary doesn't provide enough characters for a more concise summary, the relationships of this story are multiple and consist of FemHunterxMaleHunterxQueen of the Reef.**

**So a love triangle basically...**

**Please enjoy and don't forget to review! **

**xxx**

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><p>Zephyr Rowin is a loner and not one of accident, but preferability and by experience. Too many times were close calls on the account of another's stupidity. She felt the extra weight was arduous and viscous. She was tired of it fighting the current. She was a Guardian, not a babysitter. And thus she saw to it during mission she would look after her own self, and no one else. So far she was still alive, therefore she considered it successful.<p>

Today was an off day for the Hunter and currently she was residing at the Tower with Amanda Holliday. Just for a little while though, then Zephyr would descend from the Tower and amble the streets of the Last City like a normal citizen. It took a while to become accustomed to the level of treatment Guardian's received from non-Guardians. It was almost like being royalty, but the effects wore off the more times a Guardian delved into battle. Free drinks and infinite hospitality can only numb the pressings of war for so long. The stress was unmanageable, especially for a lone Guardian like herself.

Zephyr was seated beneath the engine bay doors rattling off about relic iron's she'd been harvesting along the red expansions of Mars. Her arms, poised above her, were elbows-deep and wedged between one of the engines itself and the airframe of her vessel. It was a tight fix and pink hydraulic fluid was seeping down her arms towards her shoulders. A reservoir had gone bad and Holliday was far too busy to check into it. Zephyr was happy to oblige but couldn't wiggle the damn component out without whacking her knuckles against fuel lines and scraping them against sharp safety wire. That was the idea until the reservoir stopped budging at all, trapping her right hand against a protruding panel filled with catching safety wire at all corners.

Now Zephyr understood why mechanics had more scars than callouses about their hands. The cuts she had already managed were now sucking up the hydraulic oil and making her skin itch.

"Holliday?" Zephyr subtly whined beneath her vessel.

"Yep?" The blonde human responded as she hunkered over an opened cavity on top of another ship.

Zephyr considered revealing that she was pinched between the engine and the half uninstalled and rather shot reservoir but decided her pride was far too valuable to damage. "This hyd fluid isn't going to cause a rash or anything, right?" she settled with. Her silver eyes watched the liquid traveler in gnarled paths down her forearms, collecting at her elbows before dripping to the shop's concrete and occasionally landing upon her leather-cladded thighs.

"Nah!" The shipwright mechanic replied, delving into the cavity with her rump skyward. "Just don't get it in your mouth!" Upon the utter of those words, the reservoir slipped an inch and liquid splashed every liable way. Zephyr's eyes squeezed shut and so did her mouth, narrowly allowing the fluid entry. "...,it'll make you shit your brains out." finished Holliday.

Still cringing and making sure everything was airtight, Zephyr turned her head and wiped her mouth and chin along her shoulder. She moved towards the other shoulder and repeated, eyeing a group of Guardians enter the Shipwright Shop at the same time.

There were three of them; two Exos, a male and female, and a male Hunter. The two males began to steer left as the last remaining Exo turned right. Zephyr used her arms to shield her face and began to tug impatiently against the stubborn reservoir. She'd been here for the better part of three hours and made only inches of progress, if that.

Since the component was now dosed in it's own hyd fluid, the sides were slippery and hard to grip for traction. Zephyr pushed one arm deeper, cringing as the wet sounds of hydraulic fluid intensified and began to thoroughly soak up to her shoulders.

_Don't get in my mouth_… she pleaded, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head. Her hand felt blindly for the ass-end of the reservoir. She found it, palmed it, and anchored it in place. Next she pulled her other hand outward and held the protruding knob of a check valve and used that as leverage to pull on.

The reservoir was still full of hydraulic fluid and Holliday had told her the battery of her ship was too low and needed replacing or she'd have hooked it up to a generator and drained it before hand. There was thirty pounds of fluid inside, not including the empty weight of the reservoir. Zephyr was anticipating at least forty-five lbs of..

The reservoir slipped again, but this time it moved more than an inch, actually expelling from the engine's frame like a rocket and crashed into Zephyr's chest with a _thunk!_ The force surprised her as a strangle grunt escaped her lips before she could swallow it. The rolling stool Holliday had provided her also wasn't prepared for the sudden weight of the reservoir, exceeding sixty pounds for sure, and rocked clear off it's wheels, slipping out from beneath Zephyr's ass. Both, Hunter and reservoir, crashed to the cold concrete with an unmistakable clangor. A tin drip pan was kicked by her booted foot, sending it skittering and clamoring across the shop floor. The stool had flipped onto it's side and was wheeling in circles, wheeling out from beneath the ship and into the open.

As for Zephyr?

She was stunned and couldn't breathe, and slightly, no, _substantially_ mortified.

The reservoir gushed fluid heavily upon her chest and had farted out enough liquid to saturate most of her torso and upper legs. Her arms still encased the component precariously, preventing it from meeting the floor with it's sensitive bits and oil lines, keeping in mind that Holliday wanted to repair it. She was a Hunter, not a babysitter, and now certainly not a mechanic.

"Fuck." Zephyr grunted with a tight mouth. The communal chatter that once hummed the Shipwright's location now had fallen silent. She tried to sit up under the weight of the reservoir but it was far too heavy.

Someone came from left alongside with clipping footsteps. They were nearing as Zephyr blindly groveled within a puddle of red fluid, struggling to sit up. The strain she was under made it difficult to breathe normally. She huffed and grunted, gritting her teeth to sit up right but the more she struggling, the more ridiculous she appeared.

Breathing through her nose, Zephyr felt for the weight of the reservoir diminish from her chest and relieving sigh escaped her as it did.

Something touched her shoulder and she reached up to feel for what it was. Rags. Rags for her to clean up with. She eagerly grabbed a handful and pressed their folds into her wet face. Once dried and cleaned up, Zephyr peered through moonlit pools into the face of female Exo Titan standing before her.

If Exo's could smile, Zephyr would have appreciated the gesture. But their facial expressions were fixed, save for the blinking and curious eyes.

"Are you alright, Guardian?" the Exo inquired with a tilted head, eyeing the Awoken Hunter cautiously. Perhaps scanning for damage. Too bad pride wasn't archived in their HUDs.

"I'm fine, thank you." Zephyr murmured, getting to her feet. She spotted Holliday watching from afar upon dirty knees and grime covered hands.

"You okay?" Holliday called out.

Zephyr waved her off with her hand and muttered, "I'm fine," she repeated within her chest, talking to herself more than anything.

She looked herself over, noticing her attire was destroyed with chemicals. It was her favorite get-up, entirely white with red accents. Now it was doused in pinkish-hues and itchy as all get out. She bit back another urge to curse.

Holliday hopped down from her current priority and began to cross the shop towards Zephyr who began to speak to the female Exo.

"Thank you for getting that _thing_...," she glared at the dripping reservoir, "Off my chest."

The Exo shifted along her feet and said, "You're very welcome, Hunter." By the dainty voice, the swell along the chest, a tapered waist and subtle blooming design of the hips, Zephyr made an educated guess the Exo was supposed to resemble a female. With a pearlescent white finish and black accents, the deep blue eyes that seemed to scour curiously, if that was even possibly for an Exo to achieve, were the only thing stark. "Where are your teammates?" She asked Zephyr.

_There it is_…, chided Zephyr with a heavy sigh.

She glared at her bare hands, flipping them around to observe her palms. Her short nails managed to collect dirt, from where? Zephyr couldn't guess. All digits were covered in fluid and grime. She did her best to wipe them against the thighs, but those were covered in soot as well.

This was always the pressing question. She didn't want teammates and this notion always surprised her acquaintances.

"They're down in the City," Zephyr lied when she met the Exo's gentle stare.

Holliday appeared then with a charred battery in hand.

"You're trip to Venus _completely_ shot my battery." Holliday grumbled, "I don't know how you're going to get back on the grind without one."

She handed the decrepit casing over. Its edges were melted black and emitted a sour smell.

An Exo hand reached out and carefully retrieved the melted battery from Zephyr's palms. "Trifling," the Exo muttered, examining the entire item. "Perhaps one of your teammates could lend you a vessel?"

"Perhaps," Zephyr muttered nervously, chewing on her pale bottom lip. As any Guardian under the Traveler's Light, she was held at a high level of expectation. Too often, Guardian's dismissed their calling and rummaged the streets with the very people they were revived to protect. Zephyr immediately pictured her disheveled armor and weakening abilities among the Guardians within the slums of the City. Fear flip-flopped her stomach at the thought of the Speaker realizing she hadn't adopted a team and actually managed missions by herself. He would be livid, she presumed.

Zephyr chewed her lip until she tasted blood. She needed to find parts and quick. The longer she waited to get back into battle, the more of a liability she would become. The Guardians are only as strong as their weakest link, and Zephyr had no intentions of claiming that role. She snatched the battery from the Exo's hands and hurried for the streets of the Last City in search of a new battery.


	2. Chapter 2

Zephyr had managed to swindle out a loaner ship from Holliday. It wasn't easy but it was reprimanding for the Hunter, granting her plenty of side glances from surrounding Guardians within earshot of Holliday's 'responsibility lecture."

But whatever.

"Shouldn't you be taking someone with you? Venus is crawling with enemies." The concise voice of her Ghost spoke softly over her shoulder.

"No," Zephyr told the floating light, selecting Venus sector, and launching from the Tower's launch pad.

"At first, Guardian. " The Ghost began, "I thought your pigheadedness was cute, now I'm finding it suicidal. You know what the Speaker will do if he discovers you're battling the Darkness on _your own._"

Zephyr donned her helmet and fastened the straps tightly about her head before throwing her hood up. "The Speaker isn't going to do _anything._" she told him airily. "He needs us too much."

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><p>Zephyr and her concealed Ghost landed on the face of Venus after a light speed travel. The place was a tropical overgrowth where vegetation won the battle against structures across the land. Massive ferns swayed against a variable breeze as the smoldering orange sky, obscured with churning mounds of storm clouds, continuously sprinkled a light rain. Venus was always wet. For as often as Zephyr had visited the planet to harvest Spirit Bloom, it seemed to perpetually rain and off in the distance a massive volcano spewed vivid blue lava, mixing it's radiant light into the ugly overcast above.<p>

Staring at the moldering buildings where they stood, Zephyr couldn't imagine human life trying to sustain itself upon Venus.

Zephyr trampled through the muddy soils and greens, muttering noises to her Ghost as he berated her for arriving on Venus solo. A booted foot sludged through a tangerine colored puddle, leaving a print before succumbing beneath the orange liquid.

"You're going to get yourself killed." The Ghost scolded, "I spent _so_ much time looking for you, Guardian."

Ignoring his claim, she unholstered her sniper rifle and climbed atop a rock to get an overlook.

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><p>The Awoken Hunter had failed to find a signal to allow Sparrow utilization so she continued to wandered on foot. So far she hadn't spotted any Fallen or Vex, which was good and bad at the same time. Good because she really didn't feel like working up a sweat. Bad because she needed parts she could only require <em>from<em> the Vex. If she was lucky, maybe she could muster up a few dead Vex and scavenge what's left of their induction rods. That's all that she came here for.

The Ghost drew himself out and hovered over her left shoulder. Zephyr continued onward, slinging the sniper across her back as she neared several decaying buildings. Ahead, a dead Vex slumped against a pillar. It's wired innards were ripped outward and splayed. Just beyond those wires within in the abdomen were several rods she was seeking. She was in for some luck. She lifted a boot and was just about to wander to it's side when the Ghost hissed for silence.

"Something's following us." The Ghost whispered, staring off in the direction of Zephyr's six. She idled there before slowly turning around and peering off into the thick vegetation. They weren't the only life forms upon Venus, not for a stretch. Somewhere, perhaps a few kilometers away, were other Guardians and most definitely Fallen and Vex. As for their current location, Zephyr had neither seen or heard much of anything.

Except for her damn Ghost, he was always in the way and talking.

"It's your imagination." The Guardian told her dinklebot as she turned away and continued for the gutted Vex.

She reached it's side and squatted next to lifeless Vex. Positioning her hand just before the perforated hole, she shoved her fist into it's midsection and rummaged around, feeling for the stiff faces of the induction rods.

"Hurry Guardian." Her Ghost quietly urged as he glanced to and fro, hovering at her six now.

Zephyr muttered something beneath her breath that the Ghost didn't care to hear a second time. She froze once her fingertips delved deep enough to brush the ripples of induction rods. Splaying her fingers, she wrapped them around their middles and yanked the rods out. Sparks flickered and the sound of metal softly groaning ensued, but only for a second.

But that was all they needed, just a second for a Vandal came charging from the left and struck the unsuspecting Hunter in the side.

Her sniper rifle slipped from her shoulder and rolled across the grass before sticking into a puddle of orange mud as the two tumbled across the broken stone and bracken. Zephyr managed to separate herself from the Vandal by kicking, launching the four-armed alien several feet back.

She scrambled to get up and made a leap for the rifle as her Ghost began to shout hysterically. She was so fixed on grabbing her sniper, she hadn't noticed the trio of Dregs charging her way. As she ran up to the weapon, she snatched it from it's muddy entrapment and popped off two rounds before the third Dreg knocked it free from her grasps. She stumbled back as it lifted three-toed foot and slammed it into her chest. She fell back, hitting something firm before it shoved her to the ground.

"Guardian!" Her Ghost shouted, wheeling through the air towards her.

Zephyr's back hit the dirt and her eyes lifted skyward as the Fallen Captain standing above her rose it's gun and struck the butt of it against her skull.

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><p><em>"How did you find her?" <em>A voice whispered from the shadows.

_"We didn't. We were led to her." _Another softly responded.

_"By her Ghost?"_

_"Indeed."_

When Zephyr came to a pillow was beneath her head and a warm blanket had been tucked around her body.

The second thing she realized; she was unarmed, weapon and attire. But fear didn't strike her mind as she laid in the comfort on the soft bed and folds of warmth. She was cozy and felt a strange and certain safeness, despite her foreign whereabouts. The smells around her were different, so were the voices that spoke in whispers across the room. From the thick shadows and single lit lantern, Zephyr knew it was passed sundown, could _feel_ the absence of the Sun. The lantern was her only source of light, staving off the shadows with a fire-gold flicker.

Blinking her illuminated eyes, she sat up using her arms as props. They trembled and quaked beneath her but she managed. Across the room, she spotted the voices belonging to a pair of Exo who drew quiet as they watched her. She squinted, wagering whether they were really there or she was still in the bouts of a dream.

"Good evening, Guardian." The smaller Exo cooed.

_Definitely not a dream._

Zephyr stared, slightly disoriented, and then blinked. Something familiar came to her senses.

"Do I know you?" croaked Zephyr staring at the female Exo with the pearlescent finish.

"We met at the Shipwright." The blue eyes glowed. Zephyr hadn't spent much time with Exos, much less Guardians of any sort. She regarded them as they did to her, just another stranger playing the same game. But so far, Zephyr _tolerated _them. Well at least her.

"My name's Kalen-4, and this...," she gestured towards the brute Exo to her right who observed her with menacing red eyes, "...is Stark-6." The larger Exo rose a massive paw and offered a small wave. His eyes closed as he did this, and Zephyr felt it in her that he was smiling. Which in turn, brought the corner's of her pale lips in a smirk. It was the best thing she could offer.

"Where am I?" was the Hunter's next question.

"You're down in the City." Stark responded. He stood, towering nearly seven foot and wandering towards the drawn curtains on his right. He peeked behind the folds and allowed them to settle back into place. "We considered leaving you in the Tower but-"

"Realized that you hadn't a team at all." Kalen finished, standing as well. She came to Zephyr's side. "Why are you alone Guardian?"

The Hunter looked away, "How do you know I'm alone? Just because I'm by myself doesn't mean I don't have a fire team running around somewhere."

A different light appeared. A cold blue and with a voice Zephyr knew quiet well. She eyed her Ghost with a harsh scowl.

"I told them." The Ghost admitted. "I left a trail of data upon the ship when we landed on Venus. That ship wasn't a loaner ship."

"Yes it was," snapped Zephyr still glaring at her outrageous Ghost. "And now it's stuck on Venus!"

"It was my ship," Kalen plucked a stool up and sat in down at Zephyr's bedside. "I told Holliday if you didn't have a ship in time, that you could borrow mine until you found all your parts. That's when I got the message from your Ghost." She was seated on the stool now.

Zephyr was listening but she was also noticing the bits of armor that encased the already armored Exo. Kalen was a Titan which averted Zephyr's gaze to Stark, who remained near the window. A warlock, she presumed, judging by his vibrantly colored trench coat and an armband that looked like someone's spine fashioned into one.

"Look," Zephyr began, "I appreciate you looking out for me and allowing me to borrow your ship. Thank you," she paused, allowing her next words to be more concise and resolving. "But that's not the first time I've been in a bind and it certainly won't be the last." Her hands felt for the edge of the blanket and she tossed the fabric back. Across the room, directly behind Kalen, Zephyr spotted her armored folded neatly upon a table. In nothing but a tank top and boxes with mismatching socks, Zephyr padded over to the table and began to don her gear. Now she was down to her boots and lacing them tight. Her weapons were propped against the adjacent wall, waiting to be removed and holstered.

As Zephyr fastened her cloak and began tucking away her weapons in their orderly fashion, she gave Kalen and Stark one last look. Stark was watching her movements while Kalen remained seated on the stool, staring at the wall ahead, her back facing the Hunter.

"Thank you," Zephyr reinstated as she worked the ties of her cloak. "Perhaps I could have died out there, but I didn't, so thank you." She threw her hood up and slung the sniper rifle over her shoulder and approached the door where she faltered there. Zephyr felt as if she probably should say more than just _thank you_, but what?

"This is a battle we all must fight." Kalen suddenly said, still facing away. "We are Guardians and we look after one another as the Traveler would look after us. You are our charge as we are yours. War is not won by the lone wolf, but the brethren that stand together." Kalen twisted upon her chair and eyed Zephyr with that same gentle blue gaze. "I don't want to see another Guardian be consumed by the Darkness, especially because of something as silly as pride."

Zephyr's hand was upon the doorknob, ready to turn it and make leave. But she couldn't move, not with Kalen staring at her as if she was about to walk out and fall straight into her grave. A moment passed, then two. Could she do this? Could she have one more try at managing a fire team? She knew several who had up to _six_ Guardians traveling at once. Six! Those numbers were absurd!

The door gave way just then, yanking straight out of her grasp. All three Guardians directed their stares as a figure stepped in with their head down and immediately collided into Zephyr. She stumbled back and so did the Hunter that just entered.

"Oh- Hello," he grunted, brushing passed her. It was raining outside, she discovered. His helmet and cloak were spotted and the soft hum of it's pattering flooded the outside. He left the door open, freeing the warmth from within. Zephyr took it upon herself and slammed it shut, remaining in doors much to her surprise. She should have left.

"Zephyr," she heard Kalen call to her.

Zephyr shot a look towards her Ghost, who winced under the harsh glare. "You _told_ them _my name?_" She hissed under her breath.

"I just spoke with Xur at the Tower," the newcomer suddenly began, unaware of the conversation that was just about to take place. "He's leaving in the next six hours for new stock. He should have what you're looking for, Stark."

"Outstanding." Stark chirped, still lingering near Kalen and the window.

The Hunter, not Zephyr, paused and turned towards her. "I see you're awake now." His hands began to untie his cloak. The knot loosened and gave way, but his fingers snatched it up before it could fall to the floor in a heap.

_Good_, Zephyr thought. If he had allowed his class markings to fall to the floor, she would have immediately left. These indications were their 'house banners', per say, and they were regarded just as viable as armor or one's weapons. Titans and Warlocks had their own class indications, ranging from armbands to sashes that hung around the hips.

"I am," she told the Hunter. "Who are you?"

The helmet's buckles were loosened and the fixture fell forward where a large gloved hand awaited it. Zephyr first spotted the black curls, wet at the tips from the rain, then the black eyes surrounded with lashes and a soft black scruff about his face. He was human, she knew that much, and didn't possess any silly markings about his pale face like she. She hated the markings, but they were permanent, so she ignored them when she could.

He's human, her mind reminded her.

A human.

Yes, a human.

So why couldn't she look away?

"She's conflicted." Kalen told him, "Zephyr, this is Kit, he's our Hunter."

Kit took a step forward offering a hand shake. She took it, being sure to hold him firmly in return. "It's a pleasure." He told her with a smile. An accent danced along his tongue. Zephyr clenched her jaw and felt herself wishing she had left when the door was thrown open.

"What are you conflicted about?" Kit asked, the smile softened at the edges, but still lingered.

"I don't have a team," she told him, immediately grimacing. It sounded much worse when she spoke it allowed instead of just in her head.

He chuckled a throaty laugh, "Well why not? Do you think you can fight the Darkness by yourself?"

"Preference." Kalen spoke in her stead.

Zephyr dropped her gaze and scuffed the floor with the tip of her boot.

"That's impossible!" Kit laughed, "And suicidal!"

"That's what I said!" Zephyr's Ghost squabbled.

"So are you going to join ours?" Kit inquired. "That's what you're here for right?"

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><p><strong>Okay! Now that we have the entire group together, I'd just like to provide that our Hunter Kit, is visually protrayed by Kit Harrington, or Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. I stuck with the name because it suits our Hunter and Kit is so...*droooools*<strong>

**Thanks for reading and please drop me a review, it helps tremendously!**


	3. Chapter 3

**M for sexual content and strong language.**

**this wont be the last of our Hunter with his pants down, so if this isn't your cup of tea, move along! These aren't the Guardian's you're looking for.**

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><p>The rain had finally dwindled to an annoying mist as Kit stood across the street from his favorite bar. It was dusk, but even the red sky's couldn't penetrate the shadows the Last City collected throughout the day, not with the Traveler hovering directly overhead.<p>

Checking both ways, Kit hurried to cross the street and avoid the ever-present mist. He ducked in doors into a foyer and shook off the rain along his shoulders and cloak. As he tossed his hood back, and ruffled his black curls he could hear the soft hum of voices and the clattering of pints meeting pints and their scuffing bottoms against the wooden tables.

Kit was here for more than just the booze, however. One of the soft skin, hot blooded sort with freckles and strawberry blond hair. His presence was frequented here, and among the streets of the City, and more often than not, the bed of aforementioned strawberry blonde. He was always down in the city. He liked it there where the attention was endless and the regard he received from humans not apart of the Guardian tribe was nothing less than royalty. He'd be lying if it didn't, in more ways than one, get him what he wanted. Which was exactly his means currently as he ambled towards the bar where the bartender was cleaning. She hadn't noticed him yet as she pulled the dish towel from her shoulder and ran it along the smooth surface of the bar. She wore a collared white button down and black slacks. A pen jutted out behind her ear and her light hair was pulled into a ponytail. About her hips was a black apron, adorned with wet spots and flour from the kitchen.

He slowed his booted steps, pausing just before the edge of the bar and fashioned his best smile. It worked, literally, every time, except for…., well nevermind that.

He discarded the thought as quickly as it arrived and waited for her to notice him. She swiped the cloth along the table again, heading his way until eventually she spotted him.

"Kit!" A smile rose, reaching her blue eyes. She dropped the towel and hurried around the bar for the Hunter.

"Jenny-," he tried to reply as his arms opened, but she threw herself against him and smashed her mouth to his. She smelled like dough and tasted like citrus chapstick.

Kit broke away first, scanning the room quickly to make sure none of his teammates were here to scold him. They weren't. "When are you off work?"

Jenny twisted her head around, maintaining her proximity against him, and eyed the large clock over the shelves of booze and tonics. "A few hours." she told him, turning back and pecking his lips softly with kisses, her arms still draped along his large shoulders.

Kit loosened his hold around her waist and settled her back onto the hardwood floor, although she protested with an exaggerated frown. He offered a simpering smile before telling her, "I've got a bounty I need to finish before midnight. Kalen and Stark will be looking for me, so I can't stay long."

Her blue eyes flashed with mischief and her red lips curled into an impish smile. "I can go on break?" She raked her teeth against her corner of her bottom lip as she grinned.

Kit smirked, "Yes, do that."

* * *

><p>Kit had Jenny pinned against the wall with a hand firmly clamped over her mouth. Her bare legs were wrapped around his hips as he pushed himself as deep as he could go, withdrew and repeated. Jenny was panting through her nose and still managed to make too much of a fuss. They had to take it slow or she would start her animated wailing she was notorious for. At first, Kit liked it, liked that he could fashion that from such a pretty face and tight body, but as for now, he wished she would just shut up and let him finish. A discomfort had come over him earlier that evening, and he'd been racking his head on ways to take the edge off. Drinking wasn't an option, not with a mission just a couple of hours ahead so sex was his next objective.<p>

As Kit's brown eyes raked over her exposed chest, watching her breast bounce with pert nipples and the occasional chills she emitted with Kit's length so deep inside, ramming the hilt, he realized he was losing interest in the once sought after strawberry blonde.

His throbbing cock began to lose it's ache and yearn. Kit paused, pushing his sex further into her and holding her mouth tight as she moaned against him. Her legs locked at the ankle from behind his back.

Still nothing. He was going soft.

He pulled himself out and applied pressure upon Jenny's shoulders when she opened her blue eyes. She obliged his wishes, falling to her bare knees and taking his swollen length into her mouth. She worked against him, licking and sucking, moaning as she groped her own breast.

Kit was sweating now and worried something was wrong with him. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on her hot mouth around his sex and the wet sounds she emitted doing so.

It was working, but something was invading his mind. Instead of interrupting the progress, he allowed the thoughts to take fire. Curious as to the foreign intrusion and why it was enticing him.

In his head he watched pale hands reach up and cup his ass. The fingers were slender and the color of a ivory as they squeezed. Out of his mind, Jenny raked her nails against his sensitive skin of his buttocks.

Kit moaned as his head dropped back. His length and hardness returning promptly. He pictured himself opening his eyes and looking down, pulling the woman from off her knees and throwing her back against the wall. Kit's actions were these, but he didn't open his eyes. Jenny was wet for him as he plunged deep, but Jenny wasn't the woman he was fucking in his head.

He pressed his face into the curve of her neck and worked himself into the white-haired Awoken. Her skin was warm to the touch, despite it being such a snowy color. Her eyes, full and glowing white like the Moon, were slits beneath thick lashes as she dropped her head back and lowered her eyes. Pale lips parted, shimmering with gloss, or perhaps wet from a lick of the tongue. _She_ moaned, and the sound alone sent Kit reeling over the edge. A pressure exploded at the base of his spine, seizing his muscles and curling his toes. He pushed himself deeper, so deep the Awoken winced from pain and dug her nails into his skin. Chills rose as he turned his face back into the pale curve of her neck.

He kissed her there, licking and nipping at her soft flesh. A husky sound came from his throat and slipped passed his lips into the Awoken's ear.

He was shoved back, unsheathing his cock from her hot core and slapped across the face. The crack was louder than the pain and a subtle stinging lingered. Kit shot opened his eyes to see Jenny quickly getting dressed. His sex twitching with elated satisfaction. He reached up and tenderly touched the slit across his cheek where her nail cut him. Her face was red and her breathing was laborious with anger.

"Jenny?" He whispered, eyeing the little bit of blood along his finger tips.

"Oh _now _you know my name?" She snarled, yanking her pants on and fixing her 'I-just-got-fucked-hair' into a neat ponytail. "Fuck you, Kit."

Kit knelt down and retrieved his pants pooled around his ankles. "Wait, what are you talking about?" He was confused, working the buckle of his leather pants. He adjusted his disheveled cloak along his shoulders.

Jenny was just about to barge out of the dry storage of the bar before she paused before the door and planted a firm hand along her hip. She eyed him, still taking deep, quavering breathes. "Who the fuck is _Zephyr_, Kit? Hmmm?" She hissed. "Who the fuck is that?"

Kit blinked and began to stammer, "Ughh, I don't know what-."

"She's obviously someone!" Jenny shrieked, "You moaned her name into _my_ ear!"

She flung the door open and marched out, slamming it immediately behind her, and leaving the Hunter alone. Another exit was provided in the back and he intended on taking leave via that route. Kit wiped his brow and sighed. _Interesting information_, he thought to himself, doing the final adjustments along his armored gear. He ran a hand through the thick blacks curls of hair and smoothed down his beard then exited out the back.


	4. Chapter 4

Zephyr and Kalen were seated along the floor amidst disassembled weapons. They were at the Tower, preparing for the evening's bounty. Stark was finishing up his armor upgrade, an exotic piece he managed to barter from Xur while Zephyr and Kalen raced to see who could build their snipers the quickest. Zephyr feared Kalen had a mechanical advantaged, but tried to ignore the sense of it all. She was competitive and if she won, she won against an Exo.

"Ready?" Kalen, the white iridescent Exo chirped, eyeing the Hunter with perpetual soft blue eyes.

Zephyr clenched her jaw, biting back a smile. "Always ready." she said.

"Go." Stark suddenly barked from across the room.

Zephyr snatched the upper and lower receiver, clicking them together while Kalen had already accomplished this and was installing her muzzle brake. The Hunter fumbled her stock, dropping it on the floor and cursing aloud.

"Careful," Kayde-6, the Hunter's Vanguard muttered, as he handed merchandise over to another Hunter as he looked over his shoulder.

Kalen finished twisting her muzzle brake on just as Zephyr put her stock together. Her moonlit eyes scoured the floor for her suppressor but it was too late. With a small click, Kalen pushed an empty magazine in and lifted her head towards Zephyr.

"Done." The Exo Titan chirped gleefully. Zephyr harmlessly glared at her, watching the Exo lower her jaw into an attempted smile.

* * *

><p>The two Exos and Hunter were waiting at the Tower for their fourth. Kalen and Stark sat next to one another along the concrete steps while Zephyr paced with annoyance directly behind them. They were watching the sunset together, obviously enamored by one another, something she hadn't noticed until just now. It was curious thing. The only companionship Zephyr ever really knew, or remembered for that matter, was her Ghost. Even though it was strictly business, sometimes the Ghost made her question that.<p>

The sun was just below the horizon, still setting the sky ablaze with pinks, oranges and reds while casting a golden shimmer along the western curve of the dormant Traveler.

_I would have been done by now,_ she grumbled the thought. She paused and turned, squinted into the Sun. If this _Kit_ didn't hurry up, they would be pressing for time. Zephyr turned back and continued to pace. Her cerulean cloak whipped around on her every turn. She suddenly stopped.

"Is this a _normal_ thing?" She inquired with a snarky undertone, eyeing the backs of both Exos. Stark peered over his armored shoulder at her. "Does he do this often?" She considered asking that they kick him from the team and allow her his position, but Kalen then quickly stood as a ship arrived.

"He's here." Her head turned as her eyes followed it onto the Shipwright's landing pad. "There's his ship."

Zephyr watched as Stark gathered himself to his feet and headed for the steps to the Shipwright.

"This is _exactly _why I would rather be alone." She snapped under her breath.

"I know, I know." Her Ghost cooed, "Just give them a shot. If it all goes well, I really think you should consider saying."

Kit came reeling around the corner at a fast walk, spotting Kalen and Stark mounting the stairs. Zephyr lingered back, putting enough space between the team and her irritation. Maybe if they didn't say anything to her and allowed her to cool down, she could finish this mission without a quarrel.

* * *

><p>Zephyr was back into the grind. Their first stop was Old Russia, a short hop and a jump across the planet Earth. The Ghost was buzzing in her ear about nonsensical things. Hive. Fallen. House of Devils. She picked the words out that seemed important.<p>

"You will probably have to pair up with someone if they're planning on patrolling." The Ghost manifested itself over her shoulder as she mounted a rock. She etched up to it's peak and peered out over the land, her sniper laid across her arms. Kalen, Stark and Kit were behind her, muttering things amongst each other before Kalen appeared at her side.

"Stark and I will be heading to the Divide. My Ghost is reading a Swordbearer not far from there." She lifted her palm and above it floating her Ghost. It turned towards Zephyr and blinked, maintaining a silence.

"Alright." She replied, looking back down onto Old Russia. A cave was ahead and from it's mouth spewed a gathering of Fallen, their feet trampling into the snow. "I guess we'll be here." She hopped from her rock and ambled across the uneven ground towards the cave.

Zephyr, once again, found a suitable rock to perch upon and laid down onto her stomach. She had the bipod erected and pressed the butt of the sniper into her shoulder. Squeezing one eye shut, she peered down the scope and listened to the wind.

Kit finally made it to her side and had yet to utter a single word to her since he arrived at the Tower, but Zephyr found herself impassive about it all and hoped he maintained his silence until...

"Why don't you just lob a 'nade down there…," his voice interrupted her thought.

She stilled, feeling the wind coming from the east. "Because I don't want to." she told him, shifting her sights 3 degrees east.

The scuffs and crunching of rock beneath his boot suggested he was trying to seat himself. She opened both eyes and looked into the corner of them. She was right. He had seated himself.

Leaning away from the scope, she peered up at him and glowered. "Is this what you do for bounties?"

Kit was staring off into the distance, absentminded at the frenzy that churned just miles below them, ignorant of their post up. When he heard her address him, he grunted, "What was that?"

Zephyr stared at him with a straight face, allowing a moment to pass before pressing her eye into the scope a second time. "Nothing." she retorted.

Six rounds and zero grenades later, the now carcasses of the Fallen were clustered together near a small pond at Zephyr and Kit's three o'clock. The ends of their red scars fluttered against the breeze every time it picked up. House of the Devils, she noted.

"House of the Dead," muttered Zephyr under her breath.

"What was that?" Kit asked from behind her.

"Nothing." She told the Hunter.

She exhausted her first clip and sat up from her prone position to slam a fresh magazine back into the receiver.

"Nice." Kit drawled, still sitting on her left. "Very nice."

Zephyr ignored him and drew her legs into a crossed position, resting the large weapon across her lap. Kit still had his rifles slung about his back and made no indication of using them now, or in the near future.

They tilted their concealed faces towards one another simultaneously. Zephyr was glaring. Kit was...well, she didn't know or cared for that matter.

"What?" He asked. His torso bounced upon his quirt inquire. His legs were bent at the knee and his feet were planted firmly against the ground. He rested his forearms against the top if his knees. Kit had been sitting like this for the better part of their bounty.

Zephyr narrowed her gaze, but remained silent and motionless.

"Stop." Kit demanded.

Zephyr continued to glower.

"Staaaaaaaaaahp." Kit grumbled again, reaching forward to nudge her shoulder.

She didn't move even after he gently pushed her.

"Oh shit!" Kit exclaimed, seeming shocked and jutting a finger just passed Zephyr's shoulder.

Out of reaction, she twisted around quickly to spot whatever Kit was in a fuss about, but as she did, she realized it was a false alarm. Nothing was coming and nothing was in need of an emergency.

She turned back around to scold him but Kit was gone.

Surprised, Zephyr jumped to her feet, spilling the rifle to the ground. She stared the spot Kit was _just _sitting. She tossed her head around, scanning for where he could have ran off to but it was impossible. He just vanished from thin air _as_ she looked away. She missed him by mere seconds.

"Where the…," she stared at the spot, confused. "Where did he go?" She asked her Ghost.

Her Ghost manifested into the air and hovered over her shoulder, staring where Kit used to reside.

"Forgot to mention that Bladedancers can-" The Ghost stopped as soon his Guardian reached down and swatted at the air. Her hand smacked against something, causing a grunt and the reappearance of the second Hunter.

"How the…," Zephyr eyed him from her stance, still rather confused. "How did you do that?"

Kit cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean _how_?"

She looked towards her Ghost and then back to Kit. "Can I do that?" she asked.

"Of course you can." Kit answered, rising to his feet. He dusted his hands and ass off before giving her a once over.

"If you think being a Gunslinger is going to get you by, you're sillier than I thought." Kit jested as he poked the revolver she had holstered to her hip. It tickled and she jumped back from the sensation.

"Whoa, tiger." Kit chuckled. "Is someone ticklish!"

Zephyr cleared her throat and returned to her glowering disposition. "Don't touch me there." she grumbled, averting her stare.

"Why not?" Kit pressed, stepping closer. He quickly began working the buckles of his helmet, loosening their hold. He tossed his hood back and pulled it from his head, tucking the helmet beneath his arm. His black curls were a mess and despite them being surrounded with patches of snow, he had sweat collected at his temples. He wanted her to look upon him and not his helmet. It was misguiding to others, obscuring smiles and body language. He wanted her to read what his body had to say.

"Are you hot?" Zephyr inquired, eyeing the damp locks.

"I was." Kit replied, squinting against the bright winter sun. "I'm better now." He offered her a smile in which she saw and quickly looked away.

"What's the matter?" He asked as she stared towards a trio of red Shanks crossing a pond and slinking into the shadows of a nearby cave. She wondered where they were going then felt Kit brush her hip a second time, making her squirm involuntarily.

She heard an odd noise escape passed her lips as she moved out of his reach. She tried to stop herself, but it was far too late, Kit had heard.

"There it is," he grinned, speaking to his Ghost. "Look at that smile."


	5. Chapter 5

Zephyr hunkered low, eyeing the dead and well-preserved astronaut slumped against a COMMS box. His helmet was smash at the front, exposing a skull with a slack jaw behind the golden-polished glass. Majority of his lower bits were covered in moondust and both hands rested in his lap.

"Is everything alright, Guardian?" Her Ghost muttered softly behind her, watching her observe the cadaver.

She tilted her head under a furrowed brow and pursed her lips. "I wonder what killed him." she replied.

"The Darkness." the Ghost replied. "The Moon is infected with it, so we must keep moving."

Zephyr, with her arms full of helium filaments, stood but kept her gaze fixated. She was curious to this story behind the lost astronaut. It wasn't the first one she had discovered but the questions were all the same. Who were they? What did they look like? Did they know they were never going to see their families again? Did they even _have_ families? Did they know they were going to die here, so far away from Earth? Stranded along the pale surface of the Moon?

Zephyr stepped back, still submersed in her thoughts and glanced at her companion. "I couldn't imagine...," she began, looking back at the suited skeleton, "Dying alone all the way out here." She looked up and stared across the dead space, eyeing the bright rotating Earth. There Kalen, Stark and Kit awaited her in need of resources, the same resources she had collected in her possession. Here, she was alone. There, she wasn't. There she had them, _friends_; a fireteam.

"We should be going, Guardian." Her Ghost warned her, staring off into the rolling hills of white craters and moon rocks. "I sense the Hive are beginning to stir. They know we're here."

Zephyr nodded, pulling the filaments closer to her chest.

The Ghost initiated orbit. Together, they dissipated and returned to Earth.

* * *

><p>Something was wrong with his Guardian, the Ghost mused. She'd fallen quiet, but it wasn't anything like her typical silent disposition. She was unnerved about something. He wondered if it was triggered by the dead human she discovered on the Moon. Even from the beginning she was stoic character, but the Ghost gathered it was just the idiosyncratic behavior that Awoken's all seemed to possess.<p>

It wasn't until he discovered Zephyr, that he had _ever_ experienced the peculiar antics of an Awoken. In fact, the Ghost wasn't even aware she _was_ an Awoken until it brought her back to life as a Guardian.

As they neared the Tower, he pressed. "What troubles you, Guardian?"

"Nothing." She curtly responded, lowering the ship onto the platform. She killed the engines and flipped the hatch open. They exited in stride with the loot in tow. The Ghost decided not to inquire any further.

The Ghost and his Guardian descended towards the City where the remaining fireteam had headed. When Zephyr delivered the helium filaments, Kalen had acquired a new chest piece and Kit had finally earned the gauntlets he'd been eyeing. The Ghost was curious about the new upgrades, but when he asked what his Guardian thought, she shrugged in silence. He noticed the knitting of her brow and terse lips. She was still lost in thought, still plagued in the shadows of her mind.

Suddenly, the clarity came to the _little light_.

His Guardian was troubled about the past, _her _past, more specifically. Like many Ghosts had experienced beforehand, mostly from Humans and Awoken, considering an Awoken was once a Human, they questioned who they were before their Guardianship. Exo's were pardoned of this drawback, well, _most _were.

_Ahhh...,yes._ thought the Ghost. _That's it!_

He considered helping his Guardian out by shedding some light in her previous life, but how? It would probably raise more questions than answers.

Together, the Guardian and the Ghost arrived at the barracks. More of a complex, per say, but it had the militant design and flow as barracks would, plus it housed only Guardians.

Zephyr eased open the door, entering into the midst of friendly chatter and bouts of laughter. She maneuvered around Kalen, Stark, and Kit, as well as several Guardian's she'd never seen before and headed into the back room. The Ghost remained at the front door, hovering in silence as the surrounding Guardians watched her disappear into the back. Once she shut the door, they turned their attention to him.

_What did you do?_ was written on their faces.

"She's troubled." He told the waiting audience.

Kale and Stark glanced at each other then both looked to Kit. Something unspoken transpired, for the Hunter got to his feet and proceeded into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle filled with an amber colored liquid and two glasses. He shut the cabinet with his arm and followed Zephyr into the back.

* * *

><p>Kit eased the door shut best he could with his hands full. The room was dim, sans the lantern flickering quietly in the corner, and as well as silent.<p>

"Zephyr?" he whispered into the quiet shadows. He could see the curve of her body lying along the bed on the other side, her back faced the door.

"Yes?" She whispered. He listened to her movements along the bed as she twisted around to see him.

"I brought you something to help with your troubles." He lifted his arms, gesturing towards the whiskey and clinked the glasses together by flexing his grip.

"What's that?" She muttered, sitting up.

Her eyes were brighter than the lantern and had a feral appearance to look upon. A pair of glowing white pools that darted around, disappearing for a split second as she blinked.

Kit moved away from the door and sat upon the edge of the bed. She lifted up and scooted over, providing him more room, but he used it to etch closer. A nightstand was at the bedside in which he used to set the glasses down. He decanted drinks for the both of them and set the bottle aside.

"Here." he said, turning towards her with glass in hand.

"What is it?" she inquired, carefully taking the glass. As she took it, their skin brushed. Kit tried to prolong the contact, but she broke away.

"It's a drink, it'll help you calm your nerves." he explained.

She brought the rim beneath her nose and took a sniff.

Kit winced as he laughed, "I wouldn't have done that."

He watched her crinkle her nose and lean away from the glass. "That's repulsive." she said.

"You're not supposed to smell it, Zephyr." Kit rose his drink and took a sip. He swallowed it before the brunt of the flavor could settle too long on his tongue. "See?" He sighed as the burn coursed down his throat and bloomed a familiar warmth within his chest.

Her moon-like gaze watched him before she mirrored his action. She took a larger swing than he, nearly filling her entire mouth until her cheeks puffed out. She squeezed her eyes shut and gulped it down arduously, gasping as soon as the liquid cleared.

Zephyr retched, shoving the empty glass into his chest. "That taste terrible!"

Kit poured her another glass but left it waiting on the nightstand. "It's supposed to be enjoyed slowly, not all at once."

She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and glowered at the whiskey bottle. "_How_ can it be enjoyed at all?"

Kit took another swig, "You'll see."

She sat back and released a heavy sigh.

He took another swig, a larger one but not nearly emptying his glass. "Want to tell me what's up?" He rubbed the side of his glass with the pad of his thumb, allowing her to formulate her thoughts into words. Something touched him and he glanced up to see her pale hand resting upon his.

"This." she told him. "What is this?"

Kit was at first confused. Was she feeling the same way he felt towards her?

_No_, he realized. She wasn't flirting. She was comparing skin tone.

"You're an Awoken." He told her, flipping his palm upward so that they practically held hands. She allowed this and even went as far as lacing their fingers. Kit's heart began to flutter.

"Why then…," she murmured. Her illuminated eyes were slits, staring downward. Their light emitted a soft glow along her pale cheeks.

"You're a descendant." He licked his lips, staring at their hands, hoping this was all real and not a trick of the whiskey. "Human's fled Earth to escape the Darkness. They went too far and something strange happened to them. They changed, turned pale, eyes began to glow."

"So if the Awoken fled, how come I'm still here?" She lifted her stark-white gaze. Looking at her was hypnotizing for Kit. Unnatural but luring all the same.

"Some came back. When the Traveler arrived, humanity had a chance at fighting, at surviving."

"Where do we come into this? We as Hunters?"

"I'm not entire sure," he knitted his brow and took another swig.

A hand reached out and took his glass. He watched as she brought the brim to her lips and tossed the remaining content. She returned it to him empty. "It still taste terrible." she told him.

"But not _as_ terrible," he corrected. She was becoming warmer, he could feel it along her fingertips still laced with his.

"If I'm an Awoken, how come no other Awoken's have come to me? How come none of tried to help?"

Kit shrugged, "Awoken's are very different." he said, "Your personalities differ from the rest of us."

"Like?" She pressed.

"Quiet. Standoffish. Distant." He muttered. "Most have to be forced into fireteams," he squeezed her hand as he said this. "You are all pretty stubborn. Even your Queen is enigmatic."

"Queen?" she repeated. "There's an Awoken Queen?"

"Yes, you'll meet her soon enough." Kit eyed the empty bottom of his glass.

"Why do you sound like that?" she asked suddenly, lifting her head to eye him better.

"Sound like what?" he asked, perplexed.

"You don't sound like most of the humans. I've listened to them chatter and commune. You sound different."

"Ahh, my accent." Kit gathered. "British, I suppose. That's what my Ghost tells me at least."

"British?" she echoed.

"Yes."

"What does that mean?"

Kit shrugged, "Uhhh, it means I was born and raised a little west of here, on a large island."

"Did your Ghost tell you that as well?"

"Indeed, he did."

She grew quiet, became lost in thought. After a moment, she finally said, "My Ghost doesn't tell me anything."

"He will soon enough." Kit assured her. "He has to."

He lifted her hand and planted a soft kiss along her snow-colored knuckles. She watched him with steady eyes, still glowing, still beautiful.

Suddenly a crash was heard from the other side of the door, the pounding sound of several footfalls and then the door burst open.

"The Hive have found a weakness among the Wall, they're attempting to breach the City!" Stark exclaimed. "The Speaker has summoned all of the Guardians, we have to move now!"


	6. Chapter 6

The Hunters both sprang up as Stark stepped aside. On the way out, Kit's hip caught the edge of the night stand knocking it onto it's side and extinguishing the lantern. The whiskey bottle slipped as well and met the floor in a crash, splintering into pieces.

Ignoring the mess, they bolted out of the room, seeking their remaining bits of armor and quickly donned the gear. Kalen and Stark and the visiting Guardians were already outside, readying their Sparrows with weapons in tow.

Zephyr made it outside in time to sling her sniper onto her back, pop a fresh magazine into her scout rifle and mount her Sparrow before Kalen and Stark. Kit wasn't far behind, now stumbling out of the door way and manifesting his Sparrow.

By the staccato sound of gunshots and quick flashes of light across the night sky, the fight was on the eastern wall. Stark led the way, and by the time they reached the outskirts of the City, several Guardians had been accumulated along the way, riding beside them, adhering to alarm.

Zephyr jumped from her vessel and hit the dirt running. She stumbled forward with her scout rifle in hand and proceeded headlong into the volley of fire.

Up ahead was a break in the Wall, a hole big enough to drive a train through, there the Hive flooded in, undeterred, ravenous, and crazed. Dozens of Guardians were already submersed in the fight, drowning the night into burst of fire and explosions. Along the ground blasts erupted, shooting dirt and chunks of Hive straight into the air. It was raining chaos and thunder. The sounds were deafening, a melange of roars, gunshots, grenade explosions and the natural admissions of Light the Guardian's explored via their abilities.

Zephyr spotted one of the Knights swinging his sword in great throws. Seven Guardians were at his side, rolling and ducking as he attempted to extinguish them and take their Light. Their fingers held in their triggers, pelting it's armored exterior as it roared and stomped. Some channeling balls of energy. She faltered there, finally noticing the slight fuzz about her head and the absence of fear she had been accustomed to getting just before coming in contact with her enemies. She glanced down at her hands and then noticed what was littered along the dirt.

Balls of Light bounced across the ground, standing contrast against the shadows of the night. Among the Light were more floods of Hive from skittering Thrall to massive Swordbearers, their emerald eyes glowed with hatred. Their cries and wails were mixed with the perpetual gunfire and shouting Guardians. Zephyr leaped forward and tucked into a roll, coming in contact with several of the orbs of Light. Her body absorbed them, quickly dispersing the power like a fire through her veins. Her breath hitched in her throat as the burn seared her bones and shone through her pores. The sudden sensation nearly knocked her unconscious.

But she remembered what Kit taught her about her other abilities, and the unique difficulties that accompanied them. She sucked in a deep breath and fought against the fog.

_Bladedancer_, he had said, _you'll feel it in your bones._

As she raced towards the Hive Knight, she centered her power towards her core. It began to climb, increasing as she neared the Knight until she leaped into the air, a light exploded, and flame took hold of her entire body. She landed on it's back, blades in her white-knuckled grip. She began to hack away, tearing at the Knight's calloused flesh until she saw nothing but the blur of her hands as she tore and listened to only her pants and the anguished roar beneath her. Somehow she managed to grab a hold of it's maw. She held tight, still on fire, but she felt no pain, only exhilaration and power. An Exo raced forward and severed the Knight's arm clean off. The Knight thrashed beneath her, roaring as she held tight onto it's lower jaw. She planted her boots against it's chest and pulled. She pulled until it strained her. A cry began to bubble in her chest, seething passed her gritted teeth until it coalesced into the havoc that flood the air around her and the rest of the Guardians that fought for the Last City.

Something popped, she felt it, then it tore. She centered her strength and pushed back with her legs.

She yanked, ripping the lower jaw free from the Knight. It staggered back, roaring and dropping it's weapon. Black liquid spilled from it's perforated maw as it sank to it's knees and disintegrated. It's trio of emerald eyes stained the darkness until it too vanished.

Panting, Zephyr glanced about as the Guardians pushed passed her, collecting dozens of orbs of light that surrounded her feet. She scanned the battle ground as more Hive infiltrated the City. The Thrall swarmed by numbers. A few yards from her a Titan leaped into the air, covered in the bright inferno much similar to what she had just experience. He came down onto the earth with his fist, a booming impact shook under her feet, sending a shock way of light charging forward. Any Thrall caught in it's wake caught fire, vanished into smoldering piles of ashes, but the numbers were still too strong. More Hive were on the way, spilling from the hole.

"Secure the wall!" She heard a man shout, so loud she could find it's source. It was Cayde-6, behind him was Ikora Rey, her hands were out, manipulating a large solar flare floating above the ground. Zephyr realized then who the Titan was, Commander Zavala. Everyone was here, she realized, everyone. She even noticed lord Shaxx ripping apart Thrall as they treaded to close.

Every Guardian, revived and accompanied by their personal Ghost, were fighting to secure the breach. She'd never seen so many-

_Her Ghost!_ her thoughts screamed.

She was just about to panic when voice echoed in her head.

"I'm here with you, don't worry. Keep fighting!"

The panic subsided and in it's stead the surge of adrenaline and the Light she had become suddenly in tuned with. She readied her scout rifle, aimed and fired.

Zephyr began to pivot on her feet with her gun raised. She squeezed off a few rounds, turned, fired a few shots, turned, pulled the trigger again. Every which way she turned seemed to be another Hive charging at her.

But the numbers weren't dwindling and things immediately went from bad to worse as a blood curdling scream splintered across the killing fields. Then one turned into many. From the hole drifted half a dozen witches and wizards, their war cries filling the clamoring and havoc. They began casting Vestibules and summonings forthwith, filling the battle ground with more pressing plights and sinister things.

"Guardians!" Commander Zavala boomed. "This is it! Rise Guardians! Rise and look to the stars! _This is our Destiny!"_

Zephyr thrusted her fist into the air and roared just as the Light seized her heart and set her body aflame. She, as well as the last standing Guardians, charged forth emitting the Light from within while two massive Orges came through the Wall.


	7. Chapter 7

Zephyr woke to white above and red below. She was lying against the ground, face up and slowly emerging from a dreamless sleep. She felt the cold of the morning brushing her exposed face and neck…

_Helmet?_ She lifted her head and glanced about, realizing her helmet was missing, as well as few other things. But considering her current situation, she was concerned about more pressing matters.

A morning fog had rolled in, snuffing out the dawning light and prickling the air with a tiny bits of moisture. Beneath her was a blanket of orange, red and yellow hues. The last remnants of fall leaves etched with collection of lingering snow that had not yet suffocated the cold surface. Despite the frigid weather, and what she now noticed as torn armor and a missing sleeve, Zephyr was not uncomfortable. A noise was persistent as she sat up, wincing under each movement.

"You're awake." The familiar voice spoke through the heavy silence, the source of the soft buzzing.

She groaned with a quaky sound and rubbed her forehead gingerly. "What…," she sighed, feeling as if she tumbled down the rocky face of a mountain. "Where am I?"

"_You_ are in the outer portions of the wall." Her Ghost replied. "_You_ put yourself here, despite _my_ better judgement. Comes to no surprise."

Zephyr drew her legs in and scanned the area through a grimaced scowl. "_Shit_…," she muttered, wetting her dried lips with a lick. She settled her gaze upon her worried Ghost. "Get me back to the City."

"As you wish, Guardian."

* * *

><p>Zephyr ambled behind her swiveling Ghost, who managed to avoid most adversaries. When conflict did arise, by sheer luck, the Awoken slipped and stumbled down an embankment, shielding them from a clan of suspicious Fallen. They were too far to hear her crash and fall, but it provided a route that managed to keep them from the prying eyes. They followed the creek until it was time to sneak into the Wall.<p>

As they neared the City, Zephyr was the one to break the silence. She had pressing questions that seemed to erode at any thoughts.

"How did I manage to make it all the way out there?" She inquired, staring at the twitching rotary he used to turn around corners and about the air.

He offered her a fleeting glance before answering, "It's nothing out of the ordinary. Hunters used to roam these desolated ruins in solitude. They're accustomed to being out in the wild, sleeping against or under trunks, scavenging the area. You did what was natural to your kind."

She mulled this over before asking again. "Is that my first time?"

"With me, yes. Though, certainly not your last."

She considered this and ruled it as truth. So far her Ghost hadn't lead her astray or wronged her in any manner, but it did strike her odd that she had no recollection of the latter part of the battle. Had she blacked out? Was she hit again the head which might have disturbed her mentally?

"How come I don't remember?" She said aloud as she stared towards the passing ground.

"I would blame Kit for that." The Ghost grumbled, glancing across a meadow they had just walked upon.

Under a furrowed brow, she asked, "What did he do?"

"You're, what most drunks consider, a lightweight."

"I'm not following." She admitted.

"It…, doesn't matter, just don't let it happen again." He paused in his midair travel and eyed her with what appeared as concern, or at least a degree of it. She braced herself.

"I only want what's best for you, Zephyr." He began. He lowered his vision to the ground and then glanced upward towards her again. "I know…," he trailed off, looking at the edge of the bare tree line, "I know it was my idea that you join a fire team and I do think you've selected a fine one, but trust me when I say this; Kit is bad news."

* * *

><p>Once they reached the City, her Ghost advised Zephyr that she pay a visit to the Tower, mentioning the Speaker had requested to see all the Guardians about imperative matters. This followed after the they had successfully drove out the remaining Hive. Another thing she had no recollection of, but it made sense how she managed to get on the other side of the Wall.<p>

But first, "We need to get you into different clothes." The Ghost gave her a pointed stare.

She went to inquire as to why, but when she glanced down at her persons, she found her entire garments and armor in shambles. A sleeve was missing entirely. Her helmet, which she'd forgotten completely about, was probably lost during the battle, torn from her head perhaps, and crushed. A slice was cut from her midsection, exposing her snowy skin and the hint of a belly button. Luckily, no damage occurred, sans for scrapes along her knees. The only article of clothing to remain intact were her boots, sporting on scuffs and collected dirt along her trek back to the City.

"Why did you just let me pass out?" She grumbled as they reached the bustling streets.

"Trust me, I tried getting you up and walking but you were too drunk." The Ghost sighed. "You fought like a madwoman. I've never seen someone generate so much Light at once."

They reached a kiosk that sold little to no armor designed for battle, or for Guardians, much less.

A time worn woman awaited behind a glass casing. She smiled as they entered and gave a sincere greeting which Zephyr ignored, but the Ghost did not. She was too distracted by the array of clothes and pattern. She reached for and took a fold into her fingertips. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the fabric and reveled in it's texture. "This is beautiful," she whispered, mainly to herself.

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you compliment _anything._" The Ghost hovered over a shelf of folded pants and scarves.

Zephyr ignored him and turned towards a rack of white material, long and laced at it's hem. When she brushed her fingertips along it's surface, delight lifted her features. "This," she uttered to her Ghost. "I want this. It's so soft."

"_That_?" choked her Ghost. "Alright, if you say so." He turned towards the clerk with palpable unease, "We'll take it."

Zephyr discarded her attire and shambled armor onto the floor in a heap and now stood before a mirror stark naked. She brushed away the bracken caught about the tresses of her hair and used her fingers to comb it through. When she removed it all, she pulled her white hair to one shoulder and looked herself over. She had few scuffs and markings, save for the intricate designs about her face. What little damage she walked away with were superficial and would, after healing, diminish entirely. She ran a palm down her flat stomach and halted before the mound of her sex. She grew no hair down there and the skin was soft.

As Zephyr remained there, she realized she had never looked at her own reflection. She'd seen it in passing via windows and whatnot, but she never gave the time to stop and observe.

She looked nothing like Kit and the others, and barely saw those like she. And why not? Exos, Humans, and Awoken bared very little similarities. Was this something considered? She rose her hands and brushed them across her breast. A handful and firm. Next, she eyed her face and the characteristics of her features. Why did all of this suddenly matter to her? Before, she cared only about finding shelter and surviving. Then came the importance of understanding her position in the world, in this galaxy, understanding the Traveler and what it meant to her and all of the other Guardians, as well as the people of the City.

Then came Kalen, Stark, and Kit. A team she hadn't expected in joining.

Suddenly her thoughts reverted back to Kit and she felt her skin grow warm. Alarmed, Zephyr called for her Ghost.

"Yes?" His voice responded on the other side of the wall.

"Something's happening." she breathed with panic. She turned from the mirror and yanked the door open, exposing her naked body to her floating Ghost.

"MY TRAVELER!" The Ghost yawped, spinning out of control within the air. "SHUT THE DOOR!"

Confused, she did as he commanded and slammed the door. She waited for the whirling sound of tiny machinery to die down.

"Okay," he seemingly sighed. "Please dress yourself, Guardian, before you decide to open this door again."

"Sorry," she muttered, slipping into the white dress she settled on. Once she donned it, she turned towards the mirror and sighed. She was a Hunter, a Guardian, a protector of the City, not a confused, thought-muddled _human. _What was happening to her? What were these feelings she had conjured? If she asked, would the Ghost provide enough information to make sense of it all? Could he make it stop or was she stuck with these disorienting thoughts?

She opened the door and the Ghost winced.

"I'm dressed." She told the little light who seemed to cringe until she spoke. His singular sight disc, closed at first, eased open. Once he noticed she was indeed dressed, the Ghost relaxed.

"I see. Now let's go." He moved from the entrance of the dressing room so she could step out. "We need to make it to the Tower and Zephyr?"

"Yes?"

"I'll do all the talking."


	8. Chapter 8

As they moved in stride across the concrete of the Tower's veranda, Zephyr noticed the place was still bustling with Ghost and Guardian's alike, all churning about as if a battle that could have costed the entire city hadn't occurred at all. Albeit, she did notice, on more than one instance, a few Guardians walk with faltering steps. She was glad to have noticed, feared she had fabricated the entire thing , especially since half the night had disappeared from her memory. She'd have to have a talk with Kit about that later.

"Excuse me, Guardian." A flanged voice sounded from their right. Zephyr halted mid step as her Ghost swiveled around to perch over her shoulder. It was a the postmaster and it was referring to Zephyr.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I have a message received from Cayde-6, he wishes to see you." The cyborg spun a holoscreen around and tapped the screen to open the message. The animation of an envelope unfolding played. They watched as a slip of paper revealed itself and it's message.

_Hey, kid! You did well last night. I have a gift for you. You know where to find me._

_- Cayde-6, Hunter Vanguard_

Next to the message was a profile picture of Zephyr and beneath that, her name and majority of her information. It even included her fire team which she found peculiar, but also, intriguing. She stepped back from the postmaster and offered a nod, discovering how the Postmaster knew who she was.

"Thank you." Zephyr told the droid.

"Guess we're going to the Vanguard first," fretted her Ghost.

They stook the steps quickly down, knowing they were pressing for time with the Speaker. Her steps clipped the concrete as her Ghost hurried ahead. Rounding the corner, Zephyr spotted Cayde-6 in his typical spot, between Ikora Rey and Command Zavala, and on the left table side upon entrance.

Whether his Hunter was aware of it or not, a heavy concern had come over the Ghost. Foremost, his Guardian was not sporting her Hunter's Cloak, which is something that needed to be ever present, especially when traversing the Tower. Secondly, she was dressed in almost sheer chemise, which was used predominantly as a slip beneath dresses back in the Golden Age. Plus he hadn't the mind to tell her she waltzed into a lingerie store. And last, but _certainly_ not least, her hormone levels had seemingly spiked over night. The Ghost frequently found himself checking to see if any changes had occurred, only to find the levels climbing.

Cayde spoke first. "Hey kid- _what the hell are you wearing_?"

"Allow me, sir." The Ghost quickly interjected. "The battle last night was tremendous for our Hunter, you saw for yourself."

"Yes, I did." Cayde stood up from his leaning posture and crossed his arms.

"Her armor was in complete disorder, I assure you." The Ghost went on. "I took her to the City had got her something whole to wear, seeing as she was missing entire gauntlets. Her helmet! I swear to the Traveler, I have no _clue_ where her helmet has gone. My Guardian picked out this garb, it suits her, do you not agree?"

Cayde was an Exo Hunter with light blue plating and sky-blue oculars. He sported the same Hunter class equipment, but far more gallant than anything Zephyr could afford. "It's...,uhh." he said as he reached forward and pulled her close. "Spin around for me." Zephyr obeyed, slowly rotating herself around until he stopped her midway. Her back was facing him now and his heavy hands still rested along her shoulders. "Certainly unprotecting."

Zephyr shot a probing stare towards her Ghost, but it appeared he was just as curious. She felt the warm metallic fingertips brush the nape of her neck, sending her tresses of silver hair to the side.

"I don't know who you think you are, coming into the Tower dressed like this." Cayde muttered, "You're going to have all Guardians in a fit. Ikora, could you grab me those gauntlets?"

From the corner of her eye, the Warlock Vanguard disappeared. A few moments later, she returned, gold gauntlets in her possession.

"Here you go, Cayde." Ikora, with her mellifluous voice, stated as she handed the armor over.

"I don't know if you've visited the Speaker yet," Cayde began, addressing Zephyr, "But there's talk of a Crucible championship, but not just any."

"Shoot," Zephyr's Ghost uttered, pointing his ocular down. "I was hoping that was just a rumor."

"Well it isn't." deadpanned Cayde as picked up a stack of folded trousers and top. "This is for you. You did well out there but I don't know how you managed to make it out." He then handed the armor over and Ikora appeared at his side again, this time she had a helmet in tow. "This will do for now. Make me proud, kid."

Zephyr took the armor and pressed it into her chest. Apprehension came over her as Cayde gave her a solemn smile and a light pat along the shoulder.

"Thanks…," she murmured, unsure of what she managed to indirectly agree too. Whatever it was, the Speaker would provide the answers most likely and they were running out of time.

"Guardian, we need to be going." The voice of her Ghost chimed in, almost answering her thoughts.

"Very well." She responded to the floating device.

A few citizens from the depths of the City entered as Zephyr and her Ghost ascended the steps. Some veered right and left, while others approached the Vanguard directly. Well, not some, just one and the woman aimed for Cayde. As Zephyr reached the zenith of the steps, Cayde called out to her.

"Zephyr!" He hollered, "Don't worry about not having a cloak, the Speaker will have one provided for you!" They waved each other goodbye and Zephyr headed for the Speaker.

* * *

><p>Jenny Ada couldn't keep her leg from bouncing. She was stressing about a number of things. But most of all, she was worried about Kit. She hadn't seen or heard from him in days. Yes, he had upset her the other day when he was between her legs, moaning another woman's name, but what if she was mistaken? He seemed confused when she acted out by slapping him, scratching a bit of his cheek with her nail. And when she asked him who was Zephyr, he hadn't the words, puzzled even.<p>

So maybe it was all in her head. She prayed that it was. With the breaching of the Wall and the crippling of their safety, Jenny realized life wasn't a surety and she shouldn't allow regret to lead her footsteps. She wanted to enjoy what little time on Earth she had and she knew time with Kit was well spent. But she hadn't seen him since that afternoon and none of her patrons had spotted him either which brought a foreboding worry. Had something happened to him at the Battle of the Wall? Did he not make it out?

Again, the worry in her stomach knotted painfully until Jenny feared she would vomit. Quickly she stood from her booth and hurried across the bar.

"I'm clocking out." She blurted to Tanner, her manager, as she gathered her coat into her arms.

The man went to open his mouth in protest, but Jenny had already escaped the bar.

Zipping her jacket up to her neck, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and hurried in the direction of the Tower. The streets were crowded, as usual. With it being the last inhabitable place on the entire planet, granted it was under the protection of the Traveler, it went without saying the City was a little congested. Jenny didn't mind the hustle and bustle. But as she neared the Tower, the traffic began to thin. Citizens of the City began to scarce and more and more Guardians were occupying the sidewalks until, finally, she was mounting the steps of the Tower's veranda.

A crimson-framed robot greeted her as she crossed the concrete, heading for the only person who had tabs on Kit's whereabouts. She passed the fretting Postmaster. On the other side of the Guardian's Vaults to Jenny's right, Master Rahool gathered items accumulated from foreign planets.

Jenny would be lying if she claimed her presence didn't frequent the Tower. Despite what other's presumed, non-Guardians were welcomed here. They were, after all, in need of protection. That's why the Guardians were here in the first place, right?

She reached the first flight of steps and took them down two at a time. As she rounded the corner a couple, perhaps touring the Tower, left Lord Shaxx's side and meandered towards the Vanguards. She ambled behind them as they chatted about the sight of the place.

"I can't believe we've never been up here." one gushed.

"Right? I heard there was a cafe exclusive to the Guardians." the other replied.

"If there is, I'm sure we'll find it." the first one continued.

Jenny rolled her eyes. There wasn't a cafe anywhere in the Tower and now they were walking too slow for her. She considered rushing around them but then realized, by looking over their shoulders, Cayde was busy supplying a Hunter some gear. She huffed irritably and remained behind their ambling gait. Finally, the unsuspecting couple and Jenny reached the mouth of the Vanguard's room. They split into different directions and allowed Jenny a clear path to access Cayde without deter. She hurried down the steps, passed the ascending Hunter and came to a bouncing halt next to the Exo Hunter.

Jenny opened her mouth to greet Cayde with a smile, but he lifted a finger at her, halting her words by the simple gesture.

"Zephyr!" Cayde yelled, "Don't worry about not having a cloak, the Speaker will have one provided for you."

Jenny's eyes shot across the room as the Hunter, an Awoken with the tell-tale white skin and silver hair, paused at the landing. Her illuminated eyes could be denoted from quite a distance. As Jenny looked upon the woman, her stomach began to churn again with anxiety. The Hunters waved each other a farewell, and Zephyr disappeared into the stairwell that led to the veranda.

Zephyr was a real person, Jenny realized and not a regular that roamed the damp alley ways of the City. She was a Guardian, an Awoken, nonetheless. When Cayde turned back to her with his undivided attention, Jenny froze, forgetting all the she had came for.

"Yes, Jen?" Cayde, a long time friend and past time lover, inquired. He brought his hands to his front, cupping them in a relaxed stance.

Jenny blinked and shook her head. "I-I'm looking for Kit. Have you seen him?" She finally managed.

"That, I have not." Cayde curtly replied, returning to hunch over the massive table littered with schematics and otherworldly maps, making it obvious that was the end of their conversation.

Jenny stared at the back of his head, stunned by his terse response. Ikora, from the other side, glanced up at her before attending to a Warlock fledgling. At one point, Cayde referred to Jenny as someone he cared about. Had it been that long since they spoke?

Jenny chuckled to herself. Of course it had. Not overnight, though, and no less over the course of Kit and Jenny's relationship, which was no secret. She stopped coming to the Tower for Cayde and started to come for Kit. Was Cayde jealous? This thought brought a wry smirk across Jenny's cherry red lips. Whatever was the case, it was in the past now and Cayde needed to move on like she did.

For some reason though, Jenny felt he was lying. He knew and intended to keep this information from her out of spite. Why was it always the girls fault? Kit was just as responsible of their unorthodox behavior as she. If she was catching flak, then Kit better be as well. Who knew though? Boys had a way of sticking together and even promoting licentious tendencies. But when it came to woman mirroring the same antics...

Ugh…, she thought, not even wanting to address the derogatory name inside her head, made her cringe even.

"Thanks." She retorted with the same disdain. She left the Vanguard room just as quickly as she came, keeping in mind just ahead, Zephyr obliviously strolled.


	9. Chapter 9

The closer Zephyr came to the Tower North, the more apprehension weighed along her shoulders.

"Ghost," she whispered, so not to reveal her worry to those within earshot. "Have you been meaning to tell me something?"

They rounded the corner, her Ghost stowed in his concealed place, whispered back. "It's not really up to me to say…," he paused and then, "I thought it was just speculation."

Together they entered to massive room with a floor to ceiling window. Beyond that impressive window was the even more massive, however, dormant, Traveler hovering precariously over the sprawling Last City. The morning had gone, lifting the sun high into the sky and burning away the remnants of dawn. Billows of cloud steepled high, illuminated by the golden flare of the sun.

Zephyr steered her reluctant steps to the foot of the stairwell. At the very top, silent and patient, was the Speaker. She eyed him until she was addressed.

"You've finally arrive." the Speaker initiated the start of their inevitable conversation.

"Yes," Zephyr swallowed, "I do apologize for delaying you, sir."

The Speaker motioned her to ascend and she obeyed.

"You're the last of the Guardians I ordered to speak to." His voice was enriched like Kit's, but whereas Kit was tacky and playful, the Speaker's was gaunt and smooth. It reminded Zephyr of distant tumbling waves, smooth and deep from a distance. He was concealed head to toe, sporting a white mask with intricate cut outs that still obscured his features. A high black collar tucked into a white judicial robe that fell to his feet. Even his hands were covered. Zephyr knew not what his origins were. If he were Human, Awoken, or otherwise.

"I was indisposed after the battle or I would have been here sooner." She explained. "My armor was in disarray, luckily Cayde supplied me with these." When she reached the top of the stairs, the Speaker handed her what appeared to be a vid-log.

"You, as well as your fellow Guardians, have been summoned into participating in the Crucible."

Zephyr's stomach dropped immediately at the mention of the Crucible.

"The breaching of the Wall is something we can't not endure a second time." He continued. "I've devised a plan, but I need to see to it only the most capable reach it's completion."

Zephyr stared at tiny device in her hand, rubbing the pad of her thumb across it's rigid casing.

"What will you have me do?" she asked.

"Perform, Guardian, against your peers; Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters alike." The Speaker turned away from her and stared out towards the sleeping Traveler. "Upon its conclusion, the last remaining three will be sent to the Reef."

Her Ghost came out, silent and curious, blinking his only ocular.

"There, you will request the Queen's aid. She will challenge you, Guardian, perhaps even try to kill you." He turned his head to glance soberly towards Zephyr. "Which is why I require each and every one of you to prove your Light in a controlled environment."

The longer the Speaker conveyed his message, the harder It came to breathe. She'd never attempted to enter the Crucible. Only the brute and more savage of the Guardians dwelled within the bullet riddled walls. Her palms felt balmly.

"And what if I fail?" Her voice sounded small and frail to her ears.

"Then you and the rest of the Guardians who failed to meet the criteria will remain here and patrol the Cosmodrome. Some will reconstruct the Wall."

Zephyr slipped the envelope into her pocket and placed her hands together at the small of her back. "How soon should I be ready?"

The Speaker turned away from the window and faced her head on. "You'll be discharged in the morning, Zephyr. Good luck to you."


End file.
